The French film BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR raised a lot of eyebrows due to the explicit sexual content between stars Lea Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos which many attributed to the political hot topic of gay marriage both in France and here in North America. But, director Abdellatif Kechiche’s film has been racking up the acclaim since for what many are considering a major cinematic success. Now, we get our first look at the U.S. trailer for BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR.
The trailer features quotes from Steven Spielberg from when he was member of the Cannes judges that selected BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR. Here is his full quote about the film:
“We just all felt (this) was a profound love story. We didn’t think about how it was going to play, we just were really happy that someone had the courage to tell this story the way he did…The issue of gay marriage is one that many brave states in America are resolving in a way that suits all of us that are in favor of gay marriage. But I think actually this film carries a very strong message, a very positive message.”
Now whether you are going to read into the political element of the movie or judge it purely from an artistic standpoint is up to you. From what this trailer shows, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR looks to be typically lenses indie drama bout teen love. That much we can see. What really sells the movie are the performances from the lead actresses, which is harder to read in this dialogue free trailer. So, here is a rundown of the plot if you aren’t familiar.
Acclaimed French filmmaker Abdellatif Kechiche’s latest, based on Julie Maroh’s graphic novel, was the sensation of this year’s Cannes Film Festival even before it was awarded the Palme d’Or. Adèle Exarchopoulos is a young woman whose longings and ecstasies and losses are charted across a span of several years. Léa Seydoux (Midnight in Paris) is the older woman who excites her desire and becomes the love of her life. Kechiche’s movie is, like the films of John Cassavetes, an epic of emotional transformation that pulses with gestures, embraces, furtive exchanges, and arias of joy and devastation. It is a profoundly moving hymn to both love and life.
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR was rated NC-17 by the MPAA and will be uncut when it is released on October 25th. The explicit sex scenes will remain in their entirety. Will the film be in contention for Best Picture at the Oscars this year? We will find out soon enough.